The Eternal by Edith Nesbit (1906)
The story revolves around the theme of eternal love and beauty. The narrator expresses their admiration for a beloved's physical appearance, acknowledging that it will eventually fade with death. However, they believe that the essence of their loved one's beauty, including their spirit, hopes, and dreams, will persist beyond mortality.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1906 · Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance · 181 words
First lines
YOUR dear desired grace, / Your hands, your lips of red, / The wonder of your perfect face / Will fade, like sweet rose-petals shed, / When you are dead.
Your beautiful hair / Dust in the dust will lie- / But not the light I worship there, / The gold the sunshine crowns you by- / This will not die.
Your beautiful eyes / Will be closed up with clay; / But all the magic they comprise, / The hopes, the dreams, the ecstasies / Pass not away.
All I desire and see / Will be a carrion thing; / But all that you have been to me / Is, and can never cease to be.
What this Textopian page supports
The Eternal is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edith Nesbit, dated 1906 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1906 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Children's Literature
- Length: 181 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Eternal by Edith Nesbit
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles
- Age To Youth by Edith Nesbit
- Belinda And Bellamant Or The Bells Of Carrillon Land by Edith Nesbit
- Faith by Edith Nesbit
- Three Souls by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- A Curious Story by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Sylph Etherege by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Genres
- Fantasy — The narrative involves supernatural elements and mythical creatures.
- Adventure — The plot revolves around a quest, involving various challenges and obstacles.
- Romance — The narrative includes a love story as a central theme.
- Children's Literature — The narrative is suitable for and often appeals to a younger audience.
Tags
Fantasy · Adventure · Romance · Mystery · Supernatural · Gothic · Victorian Era · British Literature · Classic · Novel · Immortality · Reincarnation